The San Bernardo Islands are a cluster of ten small islands in the Gulf of Morrosquillo, part of the Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Natural Park. Quieter and less developed than the Rosario Islands, they offer warm, calm water, mangroves and coral reefs in a laid-back setting. Home to the famously overcrowded Santa Cruz del Islote and the luxurious Múcura and Tintipán, this archipelago is a gentle, welcoming place to dive Colombia's Caribbean.
What you will see
The reefs around Múcura, Tintipán and Palma host hard and soft corals, sea fans, sponges, angelfish, parrotfish, snapper and grunts. Nurse sharks, moray eels, lobster and stingrays are regular sights, and mangrove edges shelter juvenile fish and seahorses.
The mix of coral reef and mangrove makes for varied, colorful diving, and the calmer, less visited sites keep the coral in good condition. At night the reef changes character, with basket stars opening, octopus on the move and bioluminescence sparkling in the water.
Level and conditions
The San Bernardo Islands are excellent for beginners and relaxed divers. Most sites are shallow, between 6 and 18 meters, in warm water around 27 to 29 degrees with light currents. Discover Scuba and Open Water students do well here.
Visibility is usually good and the calm conditions make for comfortable, unhurried dives. A few operators run trips from the islands and from Tolú and Coveñas on the mainland.
Getting there and when to go
You reach the archipelago by boat from Tolú, Coveñas or Cartagena, with rides ranging from around 45 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the departure point. Many visitors stay overnight on Múcura or Tintipán to make the most of the islands.
The dry season from December to April offers the calmest seas, but the sheltered location keeps conditions pleasant much of the year. Staying on the islands lets you dive early, before day-trip boats arrive and the wind picks up in the afternoon.
Isla Fuerte, just next door
Here is a happy secret: the San Bernardo Islands sit in the very same stretch of the Colombian Caribbean as Isla Fuerte, just off the coast of Córdoba. If you are drawn to this calm, warm, uncrowded corner of the sea, you are already in Nautilus territory.
Our PADI center runs 29 dive sites, from beginner reefs to the deeper walls of Bushnell, with coral restoration and Reef Check conservation woven in. Pair a visit to San Bernardo with a few days of diving next door. See our courses and dives and lodging.
